Saber rattling us to the next disaster

Share/Save/Bookmark

Daniel M Pourkesali
by Daniel M Pourkesali
15-Nov-2007
 

Some people still don’t believe that all the implied threats to use force against Iran is anything more than political saber rattling. Perhaps the same were reassured by Condi Rice’s recent remarks [1] that Senate’s approval of the Kyl-Lieberman "sense of the Senate" does not give the "okay" for attacking Iran.

But even to the most casual observer of Bush and Cheney’s conduct in the past 6 years, it is abundantly clear that neither believes in obtaining a congressional authorization to bomb anyone or start another war. What they seek is a convincing alibi which is proving harder to attain this time around but not for lack of trying. According to a report published by The Observer [2], US military officials are pressuring interrogators questioning Iraqi insurgents to press for incriminating evidence that points to Iran. Micah Brose, an interrogator working for Americans in Iraq is quoted that reports about Washington's increasingly hawkish stance towards Tehran chimed with his experience-- “My impression is that they're just trying to get every little bit of ammunition possible”, he said.

Recent increase in charged rhetoric, and the kind of constant pressure to find anything against Iran certainly sound and smells a lot like the build-up to the current Iraqi debacle for those of us not suffering from the short term memory loss afflicting the rest of the population.

The very same media establishment that helped prepare public opinion for a needless war against Iraq by promoting the ruse of mushroom clouds over Western cities and linking Saddam with 9/11 terror attacks then [3], are now doing the same by portraying Iran as an imminent threat to world peace which seems to be working. According to a survey conducted by Zogby International, an opinion poll [4] released on October 30th shows that 52 percent of Americans would actually support a military strike on Iran to “curtail its nuclear ambitions”.

Deniers including those inside Iran rationalize the improbability of such an insane undertaking based mainly on the following:

1- US military is bogged down and overstretched inside Iraq and Afghanistan

2- Price of crude oil is already at an all time high and such a move would exacerbate the situation possibly pushing the world economy into a recession

While both reasons are valid and make reasonable sense, they do not factor in the decision making process employed by the current administration in Washington which is still packed with neoconservative ideologues led by Dick Cheney whose stated goal is to usher in a “new American century”. Their blueprint for the future of the United States published in a 90-page document called “Rebuilding America’s Defenses” [5] back in 1997 is to expand and capitalize on U.S. military strength in order to force American hegemony and corporate privatization throughout the world. In the section titled “Statement of Principles” [6] they clearly outline their not-so-secret agenda which includes:

1- Increase an already enormous military budget at the expense of domestic and social programs

2- Topple regimes resistant to American corporate interests

Although many of the original authors of that ill-conceived manuscript have been forced to make their not-so-graceful exit from the government [7] in the past few months, the Bush/Cheney Whitehouse has done everything in its power to uphold those principles as apparent in Mr. Bush’s veto of every domestic spending bill [8] that would fund education and health programs including the $35 billion expansion of a popular children's health insurance program [9] while signing the $460 billion 2008 military spending bill [10] that does not include funding for the ongoing Iraq and Afghanistan operations.

Despite major setbacks and a colossal human catastrophe created in Iraq, the idea of toppling regimes that oppose American interests continues to enjoy strong support in the halls of U.S. Congress and unless we the people make it abundantly clear to our representatives in Washington that we will no longer put up with financing wars for the benefit of major corporations, it will claim Iran as its next victim and turn 70 million mostly pro-American Iranians into bitter U.S. enemies.

 

Share/Save/Bookmark

Recently by Daniel M PourkesaliCommentsDate
Neither wrong nor illegal
7
Dec 06, 2010
National Interest
6
Jun 17, 2009
True intentions
14
May 13, 2009
more from Daniel M Pourkesali
 
default

Thank you Daniel

by Mehdi Palang (not verified) on

This is a great article! You're doing a great job. Don't listen to these hateful "olaagh"s that care one iota for human life.

The guy below doesn't seem to understand that Daniel doesn't make stuff up just to write an article on it. You can't change the truth. Do us and yourself a favor Mr. "boring sh..." turn off your computer and go watch the ONE channel where you get all of your obnoxously distorted information.. FOX News


default

Repetitive bullshit!

by Boring shitheads (not verified) on

Oh man, you idiots never get tired of repeating the same old shitty "arguments" over and over again, do you?
"Bush and Cheney", "Like the preparation of Iraq war", "Neocons"....
Fuck you! Even though you are such retards leftist asshats, can't you at least come up with some variety in the bullshit you write?!
I mean now adays any time I come by yet another boring crap with the code words above, I just wann puke!
Get a life, bozos!


Mohammad Ala

Thanks.

by Mohammad Ala on

Thanks Daniel for taking time to write this article and provide citations. 

I appreciate the time which you take to bring awareness to the readers. 

Dr. Mohammad Ala is Professor of Business and a Board member of www.iran-heritage.org, www.iranalliance.org, and www.persiangulfonline.org


default

saber rattling

by tabrizi (not verified) on

why wouldn't America invade Iran for the same reasons they invaded Iraq?


farokh2000

Saber ratteling

by farokh2000 on

I totally agree with you.

I have read the 90 page document and it is so scary that you would not believe it were real and some humans put it together.

But it is there and they are following it line by line. There was a lot of AIPAC influence evident in that as well as Corporate force.

It is really sad that in the 21st Century, humans still think they can creat Empires and dominate the World.

In the age of Media and Internet, there are no secrets, at least that is what people would like to think but there are still alot going on behind the curtains.

I had a Professor in College who would come in in the morning and ask "what is new" and would answer his own question by saying "nothing but Humans eating other Humans". He also was on the theory that nobody destroys Capitalist except Capitalist.

It is happening right in front of our eyes.

 


default

CASMII Danny

by Fred (not verified) on

Well well the Islamist Republic's CASMII crazed Danny boy is back with yet another piece of amateurish misinformation